Jays notes: Sportsnet cuts radio broadcasts, Borucki accepts role as reliever
Sportsnet has decided to pull the plug on radio and will instead simulcast its television broadcasts during the upcoming Blue Jays season.
Play-by-play announcer Dan Shulman and colour commentators Buck Martinez and Pat Tabler will be responsible for broadcasting games on television and radio. Fan 590 play-byplay announcer Ben Wagner remains with the broadcast crew, but he has been at least temporarily reassigned to a new role outside the booth.
Sportsnet buried the announcement in a press release Friday morning that proudly stated the station would be broadcasting 10 Jays games this spring. Only three of those games will be produced in house, with the other seven games featuring the broadcasts of the opposing teams.
The decision to go with one broadcast this season is an obvious move to cut costs. Sportsnet claimed the change was made “in an effort to minimize travel and closely adhere to team, league, and government protocols related to the pandemic.” What isn’t said in the release is that similar rules were in place last year and yet both television and radio broadcasts continued as in-studio products.
The spring broadcasts produced by Sportsnet are March 21 against the Yankees and March 22 and 28 versus the Tigers. They will be available on television and radio. The other seven games will only be for TV, which includes Sunday’s spring opener against the Yankees at 1 p.m. ET. á Borucki ready for bullpen: When the Jays moved Ryan Borucki to the bullpen last summer, he was under the impression it was for the short term. As Borucki reported to camp in July, the 26-year-old said he was prepared to take on whatever role was required for that season but that he was adamant about getting another shot at the starting rotation.
Less than a year later, it has become increasingly clear the Jays don’t intend to give him that opportunity. The club has settled on Borucki’s role and it will be the same as the one he had in 2020, pitching highleverage innings as one of the only lefty relievers on the roster.
That news wouldn’t have been too pleasant for Borucki to hear last summer, but since then he has come to grips with his new reality. The Illinois native overhauled his off-season workout routine to prepare for being used regularly in short stints, instead of every fifth day in an extended capacity.
“I had never been in a relief role before,” Borucki said of his previous stance. “Making that transition last year … I really enjoyed it. The group of guys that we had down there last year, and the group of guys we have this year, the bullpen is a special group. You grow with guys because you’re with them so many hours of the day. Just the mentality down there, I really enjoy having each other’s back and talking with all the guys and being in the games when it really matters.”
Borucki’s best year as a starter was in 2018 when he went 4-6 with a 3.87 ERA across 17 starts. He missed most of 2019 because of injuries before posting a 2.70 ERA in 21 innings out of the bullpen last season. á Adjusting to the lights: The Jays won’t be able to call Rogers Centre home any time soon, but at least they know where they’ll be playing when the regular season opens in early April. Unlike a year ago, when the club was scrambling to find a new ballpark after the season had already started, there is some much-needed clarity this spring.
One benefit to opening the year at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Fla., is that the Jays will have the next month to adjust to their new surroundings. That’s why the club felt it was important to schedule a couple of nights games late in the spring so everyone on the team can adjust to the lights once the regular season begins. It’s a luxury the Jays didn’t have before arriving in Buffalo last year.
Two night games doesn’t seem like much, though, which is why the Jays also are expecting to schedule workout games and intrasquad games throughout the spring that follow the afternoon spring training affairs.
“(Two games) is all we’ve got right now, but hopefully the days some guys don’t play, there’s always a chance that we have a workout at night,” Montoyo said. “We want them to have batting practice under the lights so they can get used to it.”